Looking for the perfect accompaniment to your favourite homemade Indian curries? This easy naan bread recipe, with its soft and fluffy texture, is perfect for scooping up the flavourful sauce of your favourite curry. They are so much tastier than store bought, and cheaper than take-away!
Adding a side of homemade chapati or freshly cooked naan bread on the side of your homemade curries will elevate it into such a special meal, whether it’s for entertaining, or a midweek family dinner. They are perfect for scooping up the last of the curry sauce or for serving Indian chutneys and dips like coriander chutney and beetroot raita.
I have been making naan bread from scratch for years, and with endless tweaks here and there I really think I have found the best recipe for soft naan and want to share it with you!
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Why we love this recipe
- The soft pillowy texture, and the naan stay soft – even the next day!
- Freshly baked naan bread is so tasty, you may need to bake double the amount (which you can easily do – I often do!)
- Healthier than store bought – made with basic ingredients, these naan bread are far superior to the ones you buy in packets, especially here in Australia.
- Cost effective – the ingredients uses to make homemade naan are fridge and pantry staples, making them relatively inexpensive to make.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
Please scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post for ingredient quantities.
- Plain flour – also called all purpose flour.
- Plain yogurt – plain yogurt or plain Greek yogurt. Full fat yogurt works better than reduced fat yogurt and makes the naan taste richer as well as creating that soft texture.
- Dried yeast – instant dried yeast.
- Baking powder – through testing many variations of naan bread ingredients, I have found that using baking powder as well as yeast creates larger distinctive naan air bubbles.
- Milk – I use full fat milk, but you can use half fat or skimmed milk. Like the yogurt, adding milk creates a soft and slightly chewy naan.
- Oil – a neutral oil such as vegetable oil, canola oil or sunflower oil is best, but I have used a light olive oil at times. You can use ghee if you prefer.
How to make naan bread from scratch
Please scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post for the full recipe.
- Mix the warm water with yeast and leave for 5-10 minutes.
- Mix the flour with the baking powder, then add to the yeast and water with the milk, yogurt, and oil.
- Knead for 10 minutes in a stand mixer, then cover with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm place for 1 hour.
- After an hour it should be doubled in size (see the photos below).
- Divide the dough into 4. On a lightly floured surface roll 1 piece of dough out to ½ cm / ⅕ inch thick.
- Place in the hot frying pan and cook for 30 seconds to a minute. You will see bubbles appear on the top of the naan bread (see second image below).
- Turn over and cook for another 30 seconds then remove to a plate and repeat with the other 3 pieces of the dough.
- Serve straight away with your favourite curries.
FAQ
Using dairy products like yogurt and milk give the naan their distinctive soft and tender texture so I wouldn’t recommend it unless you are allergic to dairy.
Yes, you can make naan bread with other types of flour, but different flours require different amounts of liquid. For example, whole wheat / wholemeal flour will produce a nuttier tasting naan but will require a little more liquid.
You can add spices such as nigella seeds, a pinch of dried cumin and coriander, or a pinch of dried chilli. For garlic naan, I find the best way is to crush a clove of fresh garlic and mix with melted butter then brush over the cooked naan bread.
My recipe tips
- The warm water shouldn’t be too hot, just warm to the touch.
- Don’t add oil to the pan when frying the naan bread – you want a dry pan.
- Roll out 1 naan and then roll the next one out as the first one cooks. If the rolled naan bread stays on the board too long it can begin to stick.
- Cook the naan on a high heat – this will ensure they puff up and have that soft pillowy texture. If you cook them on a medium heat they can become dry and hard and won’t get those distinctive large air bubbles. After cooking the second naan bread I find the pan can become a little hot so I turn the heat down ever so slightly.
- You can brush the cooked naan bread with melted butter, but I personally think they really don’t need this.
Serving Ideas
Of course Indian curries spring to mind as the best accompaniment to naan; from chicken pasanda, leftover chicken curry, sausage curry and slow cooker beef madras to mushroom curry and chickpea and tomato curry.
However, we also love to serve naan as a side for soup (my toddler son used to love dipping fingers of naan into this carrot and lentil soup!), topped with coronation chicken, or making chicken salad topped naan.
Make ahead/storage
Homemade naan are at their best enjoyed freshly made, however if you do have some leftover naan bread, cover and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.
To reheat naan bread: sprinkle with a little water and then wrap in foil. Place into a preheated oven at 180˚C / 350˚F and bake for 3-5 minutes. Take care not to cook for too long otherwise they can dry out and become crispy. Or make into homemade croutons or pizza.
Why not try…
You may also like these other family friendly sides:
Naan Bread
Author: Robyn
Ingredients
- 120ml (½ c) warm water
- 1 teaspoon dried yeast
- 240g (1 ⅓ + ¼ c) plain flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 40ml milk
- 1 Tablespoon plain yogurt
- 1 Tablespoon neutral oil
Instructions
- Mix the warm water with yeast and leave for 5-10 minutes.
- Mix the flour with the baking powder, then add to the yeast and water with the milk, yogurt, and oil.
- Knead for 10 minutes in a stand mixer, then cover with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled in size.
- Divide the dough into 4.
- Heat a non stick pan over a high heat (you don’t need to add any oil).
- On a lightly floured surface roll 1 piece of dough out to ½ cm / ⅕ inch thick.
- Place in the hot frying pan and cook for 30 seconds to a minute. You will see bubbles appear on the top of the naan bread. Turn over when it's starting to brown.
- Turn over and cook for another 30 seconds or until it's starting to turn a light brown. Roll out the next piece of dough.
- Remove the cooked naan to a plate and repeat with the other 3 pieces of the dough.
- Serve straight away with your favourite curries.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
HAVE YOU MADE THIS RECIPE?
I’d love to see your creation!
Or just leave a comment below!
Let me know your thoughts!